Griffith

Spellings & scripts●

Spellings marked ● are how people bearing the name write it in our records; ○ marks a model's transliteration. Click a spelling to open its page.

Meaning & origin●

Attested in 1 language in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Griffith is also recorded as 2 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Spanish surname39K records spelled Griffith6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil

  Languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian

  Also written Gri-Ffith, Grïffìth

• Greek surname2.0K records spelled Griffith2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Greece, United States, United Kingdom

  Also written Γκριφιθ

63 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Griffith is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In English, from Welsh Gruffudd, noted in Wales in 1150; first attested Gruffyd ap Madog Vnyon 1392 Chirk. The second element means ‘chief’.

  as a name·A Dictionary of English Surnames

• Welsh: Anglicized form of Gruffudd or Griffudd, Old Welsh Grip(p)iud. The second element of this means ‘lord, prince’; the first is of uncertain origin. Gruffydd ap Llewellyn (d. 1063) was one of the most able rulers of Wales in the Middle Ages, scoring some notable victories over the English until he was eventually defeated by King Harold in 1063. Short form: Griff.

  as a name·A concise dictionary of first names

• from the Old Welsh personal name Gruffudd, Old Welsh Grip(p)iud, composed of the elements grip, of uncertain significance, + iud ‘chief’, ‘lord’.

  as a name·Dictionary of American Family Names

• composed of the elements griff, of uncertain significance + udd chief, lord. Var.: Griffin. Patrs.: Griffi(th)s. Patrs. (from dims.): Gittoes, Gittus. Griffoul Provengal: topographic name for someone who lived by a holly tree, OProv. griffoul (L acrifolium, from acer, gen. acris, sharp, pointed + folium leaf). See also Acevedo. Vars.: Agrifoul, Aigrefeuille, Greffu(e)lhe, Grifuel, Grifoul.

  as a name·A dictionary of surnames

• In French, Nom gallois, forme de Gruffudd; étymologie obscure, souvent liée à « chef puissant ».

  as a name·Le grand guide des prénoms (Enfant - Education)

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

US SSA — National Baby Names (1880–present) — 111 years between 1899–2025. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Arthur Griffithb. 1872IEIrish politician and writer, founder of Sinn Féin (1871–1922)
• D. W. Griffithb. 1875USAmerican filmmaker (1875–1948)
• Frederick Griffithb. 1877GBBritish bacteriologist
• Hugh Griffithb. 1912GBWelsh actor (1912–1980)
• Andy Griffithb. 1926USAmerican actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer (1926–2012)
• Emile Griffithb. 1938USAmerican boxer (1938–2013)
• Melanie Griffithb. 1957USAmerican actress
• Florence Griffith-Joynerb. 1959USAmerican track and field athlete (1959-1998)
• Nicola Griffithb. 1960GBBritish-American writer (b. 1960)
• Thomas Ian Griffithb. 1962USAmerican actor, screenwriter, producer, musician, and martial artist (born 1962)

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 195 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Griffith?

We estimate roughly 82 thousand people bear Griffith (counting its spellings and scripts) across 13 countries in our records.

In which country does Griffith have the most bearers?

We estimate about 78 thousand people bear Griffith in the United States, more than in any other country in our records, where it is most often spelled griffith.

How common is Griffith compared with other names?

In the United States, Griffith is the 358th most common surname of 7,257,200 surnames recorded there.

What does the name Griffith mean?

Recorded meaning: From the Old Welsh male personal name Gruffydd; second syllable is udd ‘lord’, but the first element is uncertain.